Skopje, 12 October 2023 – The Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services launched today, with the support from the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), a Code of Conduct in the Online Sphere during Electoral Processes and Referenda.
The Code was prepared at the initiative of the Agency, in cooperation with institutions relevant in the field: the Association of Journalists of Macedonia, the Macedonian Institute for Media, the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia, the Institute of Communication Studies and the “Metamorphosis” Foundation. The principles and standards the Code prescribes are of an ethical nature, due to which compliance with the Code is voluntary, based on signing an Accession Form.
“The digital environment has brought about new trends and numerous challenges: new tactics of political advertising, campaigning, running campaigns and financing, placing incomplete, inaccurate or malicious information. Forms of expression that may incite a climate of intolerance, hatred, violence and discrimination are used more and more often on the social networks and generally in the online sphere, which was the reason for creating this Code,” said AVMU Director Zoran Trajchevski.
Director Trajchevski also highlighted the OSCE/ODIHR experiences and expertise that had been used in the process of drafting the Code.
In their respective addresses, the Minister of Information Society and Administration Mr. Azir Aliu and the Ambassador of the OSCE Mission H.E. Mr. Kilian Wahl Code expressed positive assessments and support for the Code.
Also presented at the event was the mode of operating and the role of the Coordinating Body that would be monitoring compliance with the principles and standards laid down in the Code on the part of the political parties, their candidates, the independent candidates, broadcasters’ internet editions, the online media, the fact checkers, the influencers and other entities that may influence the public in favour of a campaign during elections or referenda.
On this same occasion, a new website was launched, www.izborenkodeksonline.mk, created specifically for the purpose of familiarizing the public with the Code and the work of the Coordinating Body. The website is available in Macedonian, Albanian and English, and has been adapted for use by visually impaired persons.
Representatives of the State Election Commission, the State Commission for Preventing Corruption, the Agency for the Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information and the Commission for the Prevention of and Protection from Discrimination shared their views on the Code and its implementation in practice.